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| Clydesdales Visit Good for Local Economy |
You hear about the so-called "contract riders" that celebrities and their handlers have when they perform -- sometimes containing some of the most outrageous food, accommodations, and other needs humanly possible. But when the celebrities are horses -- they don't need much more than a nice comfortable stall, some hay, the occasional bath, and a meal.
The celebrity horses in question are the Budweiser Clydesdales -- which are calling the old National Guard Armory on North Broad Street home the next few days, where they'll be available for public viewing at times when they're not heading to Canton or Bushnell, or delivering beer to local establishments.
Pete Peterson is handling this group of Clydesdales while they're in town, and he tells WGIL the one thing that might be unique about them is their diet, which isn't exactly Purina Horse Chow.
"Depending on the horse, and it all depends on age and metabolism. As they get older, the metabolism slows down a little bit, so some of these guys are probably only getting three pounds of oats a day. Some are getting ten to twelve pounds a day."
Peterson says that's what they basically feed the horses. "Whole oats, a little bit of corn oil and rice bran, and then the vitamins we give them." He says they also get a good quality grass hay.
And the good news for the local economy, Peterson says, is all that food is bought locally, and doesn't get hauled to each location they go to.
Ten Clydesdales are with the group, but Peterson says only eight are used at a time, with five-to-seven employees who travel with either maintaining the horses or their carriage.
(Visitors enjoy the Budweiser Clydesdales Tuesday afternoon at Galersburg old National Guard Armory. WGIL News photo by Eric Hanson.) |
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| 08 19 08 by Newsroom |
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